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Though the park itself has some excellent restaurants, don't miss dining in Jackson, where chefs apply European and other cooking techniques to game, fowl, and fish dishes and generally include vegetarian entrées. Steaks are usually cut from grass-fed Wyoming or Montana beef, but you'll also find buffalo and elk on the menu; poultry and pasta are offered by most restaurants, as are fresh salads and fish (trout, tilapia, and salmon are most common). Just about everywhere, you can order a burger or a bowl of soup. Casual is the word for most dining within and outside the park. An exception is Jenny Lake Lodge, where jackets and ties for men are recommended for dinner. Breakfast is big: steak and eggs, pancakes, biscuits and gravy; lunches are lighter, often taken in a sack to enjoy on the trail.
Elegant yet rustic, Grand Teton's finest dining space is highly ambitious for a national park restaurant. For dinner, the prix fixe, five-course menu features locally sourced ingredients and an inventive, thoughtfully assembled wine list. Breakfast is also prix fixe, while lunch is à la carte, with inventive soups, salads, beef burgers, and bison French dips. Men are encouraged to wear jackets for dinner.
The menu at this no-frills cafeteria in Colter Bay Village features build-your-own pizzas, salads, and toasted subs.
Simple but hearty pizzas and pastas are the draw here, but you'll also find generous margaritas, a diverse wine list, and occasional live music. Place your order at the front counter, then head to a table inside, on the side deck, or upstairs on the roof, which has stunning mountain views. This extremely popular eatery also serves sandwiches and salads. The long inside bar has stellar views and friendly barkeeps. Check Dornan's schedule for live music, and be sure to explore the wine shop next door: it's one of the most varied and well stocked in the state.
With an old-fashioned soda fountain, friendly service, and seats along a winding counter, this eatery recalls a 1950s-era luncheonette, opening early and serving late. Go big with the buffalo burger and a side of loaded fries, or skip the side so you have room for the pie of the day.
The casual Ranch House offers friendly service and caters to different diets, making it a good choice for families with picky eaters who can't take another cafeteria meal. The menu for both lunch and dinner leans heavily toward barbecue platters at dinner, with sandwiches, salads, and burgers at lunch. Vegetarians have alternatives though like the grilled portobello sandwich and build-your-own pasta station. For breakfast, make a trip (or two) to the outstanding buffet.
Located in Signal Mountain Lodge, The Trapper Grill serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all with a million-dollar view of the mountains and Jackson Lake. The nachos here are huge (one order can feed an entire family), and vegetarians will be pleased with the "Trailhead" wrap. Meanwhile, meat-eaters can’t get enough of the chili, made with wild game, and the braised bison stew. For breakfast, try a homemade blueberry muffin or the Teton omelet featuring honey ham.
